Mauthis
Mauthis is a senior representative of the mysterious banking house of Valint & Balk. Appearance and Personality Mauthis is a tall man in his fifties, almost ill-looking in his gauntness, hollow-cheeked and sunken-eyed. He has a prominent beak of a nose and thinning grey hair. He is obsessively neat, dessing in sombre robes. There is a stern precision in his movements''Before They Are Hanged, And Next... My Gold. Although calm and polite, he's a remarkably cold individual, who will cancel a loan or threaten someone with no emotion. In fact the only emotion he ever shows, is fear of his masters in the bank. A very cautious man, he even avoids any physical contact with clients. History For seven years before the events in the trilogy, Mauthis has acted as the chief representative of Valint & Balk in Dagoska. It is hinted that he knows from some personal experience, what it means to be in debt to the bank. ''Before They Are Hanged Several weeks after Superior Glokta arrives in Dagoska, the ruling council is deep in debt, having spent some half-a-million marks on improving the cities defences in preparation for the Gurkish siege. The situation seems dire, until Mauthis walks into Glokta’s office. On behalf of the bank, he offers him 150,000 marks in silver, 350,000 marks in gold, and 500,000 marks in polished stones, totaling one million marks. Mauthis explains that Valint & Balk don't want Dagoska to fall into Gurkish hands, and this is a contribution to the defences. Not a loan in the traditional sense, Glokta can have the money in return for unspecified future favours for Valint & Balk. With no other choice, the Superior agrees. Later back in Adua, Glokta is forced by Arch Lector Sult to make Gurkish Ambassador Tulkis confess to the murder of Prince Raynault, despite being innocent. However, the truth is something Glokta cannot ignore, and he continues his investigation to find the real culprit. Shortly afterward, Mauthis pays the Inquisitor a visit. He requests Glokta immediately stop his private investigation into the Prince’s death. Taken aback, the cripple asks why? But, the banker only replies that Glokta does not want to find out what will happen if he denies the request. Realizing that he is bought and paid for, Glokta agrees. Last Argument of Kings When the new High King Jezal proves to be less malleable than expected, the Arch Lector orders Glokta to investigate the so-called First of the Magi and the real lineage of Jezal. Mauthis orders Glokta to a meeting in the Adua offices of Valint & Balk. Once again, the bank is not pleased with his investigation Jezal, and wishes it to stop. Caught between a rock and a hard place, Glokta asks when this will end. Mauthis, seeming to draw from his own experience, whispers almost sympathetically that it will never end. And, there's one more thing. Valint & Balk wish the cripple to spy on the Arch Lector and find out what he’s doing in the University. Sputtering with impotent objections, Glokta is shown the door. Outside, Glokta wonders how the bank knows so much. Obviously, someone close to him must have told them. Later, Mauthis sends Glokta a letter demanding progress with Sult within a week. During the Battle of Adua, Glokta discovers that Practical Severard had been spying for the bank, due to his debts. Best Served Cold Mauthis is now the head of the Westport branch of Valint & Balk, who are financially supporting Grand Duke Orso of Talins. Mauthis is finishing up the paperwork for Orso's latest loan, when the Duke orders Monza and Benna Murcatto killed. Mauthis shows no emotion as Benna is stabbed and Monza garroted. Nonetheless, Monza manages to survive, thanks to landing on Benna's corpse and the help of a mysterious healer. Bent on revenge, Mauthis is the second name on her list of targets. She hires the notorious poisoner Castor Morveer. Mauthis gets a visit from Morveer in the guise of a merchants from Puranti, making a sizable deposit. As they make the arrangements for the deposit, Morveer tries various tactics to poison the banker, but Mauthis proves an infuriatingly cautious man, refusing even to shake hands. Under cover of night, Monza's crew infiltrate the bank. Caul Shivers scales the bank, and uses a crossbow and rope to haul Morveer and his assistant Day onto the building's roof. Friendly then lowers Morveer and Day into the bank through the skylight. Rather than poisoning only Mauthis’ ledger, Morveer poisons every ledger in order to be sure. Monza herself witnesses the wholesale slaughter that ensues the next day. She and Mauthis lock eyes as convulses on the ground, and breathes his last. Dozens of others banking staff and clients also die. In the end, Yoru Sulfur commends Monza on her resourcefulness, saying blithely that Mauthis is easily replaced. References Category:Characters Category:Characters from the Union